Simply Pornographic
by Snow Whites Poison Kiss
Summary: AU! Eren, a struggling writer who had moved to LA to kick start his career, was a man who didn't believe in love. Love only brought pain and heart break. But what Eren didn't understand was the painful truth in these words until he met Levi; a successful man in the porn industry. And what about his roommate and the naive stripper? Broken pasts and sex have never worked so well.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N- Who's up for male porn stars and naive yet adorable strippers?! I AM. I basically just took the most innocent and adorable characters (-Armin and Marco, pour example-) and totally corrupted them, and I'm sorry for that kind of. They will still have their adorable personalities, though, if that makes it better...  
I'll also apologize for the summary; sucky cheesy summary is sucky and cheesy but I couldn't think of anything else-_

_I am fucking myself over by writing this. Imagination overload; when I crash, I'm going to _crash_, and no one's going to see me ever again._

_**Warnings** and **~sudden disclaimer~ **_

**_Gay Sex/Yaoi  
Drama  
Angst  
Age difference (Eren is 21, Levi is rockin' 31_****_)  
_****_STRIPPERS  
JEAN AND MARCO ARE BASICALLY WALKING SEXY HEADCANONS KAY_**

**_Major/Minor Pairings (Major- Bold, Minor- _**_Italics_**_- _**_Basically just necessary relations that mean nothing AT ALL EVER, they just get a little freaky with each other/are necessary to the plot... or the needed drama..._**_) :  
Ereri  
JeanMarco  
_**_Levi/Armin  
Levi/Petra  
Marco/Armin  
Eruri mentionings  
Of course, Hanji/Moblit can't forget those two :3  
__And random others I'll probably throw in whenever I see fit, but I'm not really sure about yet. Only time will tell~_

_Don't forget to _**_~review~_**_, follow, and favorite! That's all highly appreciated! ;3 Reviews really do get my creative juices flowing and bring about faster updates, so don't be shy to tell me what you think (as long as it's not a flame; I may rip you a new one if I a chord is struck, and I really don't want to do that. If you don't like it, you aren't required to read this or tell me :) ), and if you want to see anything specific in this, tell me and I'll more than likely be able to make it work :3  
_

_I also apologize for the POV switch in this; I just completely hit a stump at one point and wanted to introduce both of our lovely leads so I did something stupid in the first chapter x3 I promise I won't switch that often if that's something that bothers you, I just, well, came to a stop after Eren :{_

* * *

_~Chapter__ 1~_

_"Be careful, Eren."_

_"Stay away from drugs, Eren."_

_"Be safe, Eren."_

_"Don't do stupid things for money, Eren."_

_"Work hard, Eren."_

_"Don't get into trouble, Eren."_

Every single warning Mikasa Ackerman had ever thrown at Eren Jaeger before he had moved to LA assaulted him when he stumbled into something he never should have. Now, understand that Eren was by no means naive or "innocent", he worked at the biggest club in LA for Christ's sake, and had quickly become desensitized to a lot of things. Strippers fighting strippers fighting customers fighting waiters- Basically, a never ending chain of drunken bar fights and having to report suspected drug deals. And more than once had he kicked out a couple getting a little to excited in the bathroom. A bartender and part time security guard for _Rose _required _a lot_.

He'd even had to tackle naked men covered with piercings and tattoos in areas that really shouldn't even have piercings and tattoos. Anything to help pay the rent with his sister's boyfriend. And if that meant tackling naked men high on equally illegal substances for his boss or police officers; so be it.

That _anything_, however, did not extend to getting his ass handed to him by a short, quick to anger, _old man_.

Eren curled his busted lip, wincing as the wound reopened, and rubbed his jaw as he stalked up to his shared apartment. How was it his fault he thought the bastard was underage? It happened all the time, and, sure, maybe he had been _a little _rude when asking him about it, but what the shit had done was completely uncalled for.

How could a thirty year old look like an eighteen year old, anyway? Plastic surgery could do wonders, usually horrific, but it couldn't do stuff like _that._

"Wow~ What the hell happened to you, dumbass," were the first chucked words out of Jean's mouth the second he looked at Eren.

"Shut up, horseface," Eren growled as he stormed into the kitchen, making a beeline for the zip lock bags and ice.

If Eren had had the choice, he wouldn't be living with Jean Kirschtein, Mikasa's successfully working long distance boyfriend. Yet the circumstances demanded it; both boys were struggling "artists", and the prices for apartments in California were heart attack inducing compared to Ohio's. So, thanks to Mikasa's assertiveness, they had agreed to room together and split the rent after they made their plans to actually move to California. The main goal had been that that would save them from an early death if they didn't get to each other first...

Eren sighed as he pressed a bag of ice to his face, enjoying the chill that soothed the throbbing skin, and checked his phone, deciding to ignore the calls from Mikasa at the moment. He had more important things to worry about, like trying to keep the fact that he had been beaten up by a guy half his size to Jean.

"If you tell, I'll take on the water bills for this month," Jean offered as Eren wandered back into the sitting room. The blond laughed when he growled and picked up his guitar, hands at the ready. "I'll do it."

"You won't."

"I really will and you know it. Now, fess up, douche bag."

Eren huffed and dropped onto the couch beside the other boy, staring helplessly up at the ceiling. "So a guy came into the club-"

"Oh, how _descriptive_. You're supposed to be a writer, Eren, yet you're failing miserably with your descriptive skills," Jean tsked while plucking absently at the strings of his guitar. "I'm ashamed for you!" he gasped dramatically.

"Okay," Eren growled, glaring at him for a moment. "A _really short male_ that looked to be no more than eighteen walked into the club and asked for a glass of scotch-"

"He was fifty, right? Is that the kicker?"

"_Shut up_, you wanna know or not?" Eren snapped and waited until Jean's hands went up in surrender. "He was, like, thirty-one and got unreasonably pissed when I asked if he could show me some ID. I may or may not have thrown in 'kid', but details... They're so..." he paused and held up his hands before continuing in a whisper, "_Unimportant_."

Jean just stared at him, his brown eyes glittering. Then he began to shake and held a hand up to his mouth to stifle his laughter, which only sent Eren's horrible mood plummeting down the drain. "How... How tall are we talking here?"

Eren blushed and looked away. "Maybe five two..."

Jean doubled over, cackling, his eyes shut tight. Eren would have punched him if he hadn't been sore and bruised, or if the fact that he didn't have to pay water bills wasn't hanging over his head. At least he had gotten something good out of this.

"Jean, you don't understand," Eren snapped, angry and frustrated. "He was so fucking fast and I swear to God his entire body was just pure muscle. And he got so angry so quickly, I didn't even see it coming-"

"Eren, I don't think you understand how hilarious this is!" Jean cried, shaking the brunette as he held back another bout of laughter. "I've seen you take down forty year old men who looked like they lifted weights for a living, and you got beaten up by a short, irritable, man ten years your senior," he summarized.

Eren could only muster a frown and a glare. Of course Jean would have to rub it in and just feed him the same words he had just spoken, but the water bill... He had a week to make that bill as high as possible.

"You know what, I think I'm going to go take a _nice long_ bath then shower up and hit the hay," Eren stated while standing up with a small grunt. His vision swam for a moment before he was able to steady himself again, and once he had he caught Jean's horrified expression he smirked.

"N-no, Eren, you know I'm out of a decent job right now-"

_Then don't offer things you can't pay for!_

"You could always play at Rose~" Eren cooed with a small laugh as he sauntered off to the bathroom. "I'm sure you'd be welcomed with open arms and rolling hips~"

Jean hated the club. He loved big pulsing crowds high on the music that played just as much as the next person, but he drew the line at strippers. And Rose had a lot of them.

"Fuck you, Jaeger!"

Eren only smirked as he slammed the door, yet ended up causing his headache to strengthen. He really was looking forward to that bath, his body was killing him and the little shit was the entire cause for it. When he looked in the mirror, he found his eye was starting to swell at an alarming rate, his cheek was already bruised, and his bottom lip was swollen and split. He looked _horrible_.

His face alone was bad enough, and when he stripped he found more of the yellowish-purple bruises decorating his torso.

He could sue for this. They were both over eighteen, he could definitely sue. That had been assault no matter how he looked at it.

But the intimidating grey eyes flashed across Eren's mind again, and had him shivering and casting the thought out of his head. Eren decided to just let it go, it wasn't as if he knew anything more about the man other than his age, and he had taken beatings much worse than what he had gotten earlier that night.

But letting go of things wasn't really his style...

* * *

"_Ahn... Ah, Levi, yes... Yes!_"

_Shut up... _

"_Harder!_"

_Shut. The hell. Up._

"_Levi, Levi, oh God, yes, harder! More! _Levi_!_"

With a growl, Levi slammed his hands onto the headboard before him and turned his head into his arm, hiding a disgusted scowl as he gave the annoying shit beneath him what she asked for. His anger was mistaken for pleasure and lust, restrained aggression, everything his _audience _would like, and everything the woman beneath him would like.

Levi couldn't even look down at her again without shuddering, disgusted with himself and for her. A classic, fake, and plastic bitch and he had to sleep with her. He couldn't even touch her chest without fearing the massive breasts would pop.

With another disgusted shiver as her nails ran down his back, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine something, _anything_, to hurry the 'show' up. Levi couldn't stand to look at her face, heavily made with cheap make up and blotted from sweat. How_ anyone_ could find that attractive was beyond him, but Levi hardly had any room to talk. It wasn't as if he were a saint himself.

_Filthy_, he thought before shoving the image away and trying to summon another.

Vivid green eyes set in a long, sun kissed face was what he was rewarded with. The memory of the skeptical expression on the flawless brat's face made Levi tense before he jerked away from the moaning girl and ripped the condom off of his aching arousal.

_Oh no_, he thought, slightly alarmed, as he came, a low groan escaping his parted lips.

"So good, baby," the bitch giggled, reaching out for Levi as he gasped for air.

_This will have to be cut_, Levi thought as he glared at her with a clear grimace playing on his lips. He ignored her surprised, almost scared, expression and reached for the nearest tissue to wipe his hand clean before sliding off of the bed and grabbing a robe. While he would have loved to shower, rid himself of the woman's disgusting smell and sweat, he didn't have the tools to do so.

"We're done here," he snapped as he brushed by the wary cameraman, a man who had grown quite accustomed to his moods. "I expect a check by tomorrow morning, the pay doubled. That was one of the worst things I've ever done," he snarled while grabbing a bottle of water.

"Y-yes, Levi..."

The girl, Lord knew what her name was, gasped and stood up while reaching for her own robe. Levi watched, slightly amused, as her face contorted and sent his stomach rolling with nausea. She stomped over to him with the clear intention to slap him, which only made Levi roll his eyes and turn his back on her.

"You insufferable, rude, prick!" she exclaimed, face red with embarrassment and fury.

"Touch me and I guarantee you won't be able to sit down on that horrendous ass of yours for a week, _baby_," Levi warned softly as she raised her hand.

With a sigh he walked away from the surprised couple and grabbed his clothes, neatly folded and placed on the surface of a dresser he had cleaned himself, and stalked out of the room. He had no patience after a shoot, and tonight was definitely one of his worst.

Again, the bartender who had completely disrespected him flew across his mind and had him shoving an angry hand through his short hair. How could he even get off on such an arrogant brat, or even give him another thought? Sure, he had beaten the poor kid to a possible pulp (though he hadn't stuck around that long afterwards to find out), but something like that wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.

Levi rubbed his mouth thoughtfully before tugging his shirt and jeans on with a grunt. The kid had landed quite a few good kicks, but Levi was aware that even _he_ couldn't get into a fight with an experienced guy and get out without at least one well placed hit.

But that didn't mean he got off on whoever actually did manage to hit him. It should have been the opposite, he should have the desire to rip the guy to pieces, so of course he was asking himself _why_ that had just happened. _Why_ he had _fantasized _about a shitty brat who had completely embarrassed him in a huge club, and one he frequented. One where people _knew_ him.

"This is bad..." Levi murmured when he realized he was already planning on returning to Rose until he could see the little shit again. The boy was quick to anger, much quicker than even himself, and he showed it. A very open book, a very expressive individual... Levi couldn't stand it.

But he couldn't go down that road again, not ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N- OMG you guys are just wow ye. I love all of you guys, despite the fact that I know a third of you on a personal basis- But I mean I'm totally chill with knowing ALL of you on a personal basis... Don't be shy... I don't bite... Hard... Ifyou'reintothatkindofthingthatisImean-  
*coughs* I just wanted to let you all know that I appreciate each and every review you leave, and I don't really want to do the whole "reply to every review in an a/n" thing anymore, so yeah, just know that I worship you when you leave a review and they literally make my week ^3^ I'm pretty sure I have all of them memorized I read them over so many times. But if you leave one that requires my life and then some though, unf, do it. Do it and see what I'll do. I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU._

* * *

_~Chapter 2~_

"Oh~ Jaeger~ Looks painful~ What happened? I heard ya got a short stack of-"

"Connie, there's a reason you clean tables and I don't," Eren snapped after interrupting his friend with a harsh glare. He hadn't even gotten to the bar yet and he was already being picked at.

Not that he could entirely blame Connie, of course. While the bath had done wonders to ease his aching body, his eye had only gotten worse and his jaw had also started to bruise. And there was nothing he could do about a busted lip except refuse to bite it. With a small sigh, he shed his coat and threw it at Connie as he walked by, his temper flaring at the very thought of his appearance.

Eren didn't think he was drop dead gorgeous, and he certainly didn't obsess over his appearance, but he didn't like showing up to work with a black eye and split lip. A simple bruise could destroy your rep at Rose, and Eren hadn't gotten a bruise; he had gotten creamed by guy half his size, and it was apparently well known if Connie's comment was anything to go by. Eren still shivered as he replayed the memory of the man rushing him.

_He _had_ to have been one hundred percent muscle_, Eren told himself as he slipped behind the bar and straightened his vest. While the shorter man hadn't looked it, Eren knew that had to be the case.

"Oi, Eren~ You know who you got your-"

Eren whirled on Hanji Zoe, his face red from both anger and embarrassment. "Can we let this go already?" he exclaimed, glaring fiercely at his superior. "Yeah, I got beaten by a half pint, _big deal_, let's let it drop before we open-"

"You insulted a very important regular," Hanji started, a smile playing on her lips.

Eren paled and could only stare at her, speechless. Hanji could be eccentric at times, and often played far too many pranks around the club on her coworkers, but regulars were one thing she never joked about. If anything, Eren had the feeling she was _obsessed _with them, and would often find her studying them as if they were a separate species.

_"Regulars are interesting," _she would say while peering at one closely. _"Each and every one of them is different. Some come back for the crowd, some come back for the live music, some come for the food, and a lot come for the strippers... But they all have one thing in common..." _

Why she even cared was beyond him.

"I may not have been here, but by the description and play by play Marco gave me, it was Levi," Hanji started cheerfully as she wiped down the bar. The smile still graced her lips and sent small chills up Eren's spine. "Levi is basically the God of this club, besides the big boss man, y'know? You screw up his appearances, you screw up the entire club."

_Shit... _he thought, feeling the blood drain from his face.

"That would have been nice to know at the time!" Eren hissed while running a shaking hand through his hair. "Why don't we have a regular board or something?" The brunette immediately wished he could take back his words when Hanji seemed to snap to attention, her brown eyes glittering almost feverishly.

"Eren... Eren, that is a fantastic idea," she muttered softly as the first wave of club goers slowly began to pile in. The music, while it had been pulsing softly in the background waiting for this wave, had suddenly been turned up; as loud and energetic as it always was on a Sunday night. "I can just bring in the one I have at home!" she cried as to be heard over the music.

Eren stumbled back a few steps as she jumped on him, her grip around his neck like a vice and harsh. Eren was far too disturbed by her comment to make much of it, however, and instead slowly pushed her off and mumbled something about 'the drinks'.

He spent the first hour absently sliding drinks and food down the bar to waiting customers, but wished with every passing second he could take back his shift the previous night. The last thing he needed was a personal, heart to heart, talk with his boss, and if this Levi guy was as important as Hanji had said... That would probably be inevitable.

"Hey, Hanji!" he shouted after passing out the last order. She paused while mixing her own order and only after she focused her full attention on him did Eren continue. "Could you make sure I don't have to meet-"

"Already ahead of you," Hanji laughed before winking and turning back to the glasses.

He sighed in relief and smiled gratefully at her while leaning against the bar, waiting for the next demand. Eren was really okay with every aspect of his job, and enjoyed everyone he worked with, but his boss was a man he just couldn't bear to be around. He would honestly take Jean over him any day.

"Eren, scotch me!"

Eren jumped, surprised, but smiled nonetheless as Marco easily slipped through the rocking crowd. Marco returned the smile and naturally slapped away the hands that made grabs for him until he slid behind the bar next to Eren.

"Getting ready for a show?" he asked while reaching under the bar for the brunette's usual.

"Do you really need to ask that? Or do I need to start prancing around naked?" Marco countered with a roll of his eyes. Eren snorted but handed him the chilled glass and watched him carefully.

Marco had to be his favorite out of all of his coworkers. The taller boy was undeniably sweet but could definitely hold his own against someone twice his size. Or someone just his size, and that thought alone made Eren snicker as he remembered the prompt punch in the face Jean had received.

"Hey, do you ever plan on dragging that roommate of yours back again?" Marco asked after taking a few small gulps of his drink.

Eren could only shake his head and sigh. "I think you scarred him the last time. If he did come back, he might want to fight you. Getting punched in the face by a male stripper really did a good deal on his pride, y'know?" he chuckled while patting his friend on the shoulder.

It was no secret that Marco had a huge crush on his roommate, and Eren couldn't help but sympathize for him. Jean had always had a big thing against strippers, and Marco had probably been a little too overbearing on their first meeting. However, Eren always did his best in dealing with Marco's persistent questions and completely adored watching the taller boy swoon.

"Speaking of pride, how's yours holding up, brat?"

Eren froze and refused to turn around and face the half pint. He would have recognized that voice anywhere, despite the fact that he had only heard it in a growl the first time.

"Ah~ Levi, how's it going?" Marco began nervously as he took the opportunity to turn and face the older man. As if Marco's own courage fueled Eren's, he slowly turned to fully take in the man who had completely destroyed his personal image.

Levi stood smirking and leaning slightly against the bar directly in front of him, one arm wrapped loosely around a slightly taller boy's waist.

_Not that it takes much to be taller than him... _

Eren frowned slightly as he tried to take in Levi's partner as subtly as possible. Chin length blond hair had been pushed out of his face, revealing large, clear, blue eyes and a round almost child-like face.

If the guy hadn't been with Levi, Eren would have been required to ID him. But the mere thought of IDing anybody at that point made Eren want to go home and sleep for ages.

"He's older than he looks," Levi snapped with a small grimace on his thin lips. Eren curled his own lip and turned his gaze back to Levi, bristling at the clear challenge presented before him.

"And you're shorter than other thirty year old men," he countered and took solace in the fact that it made Levi's sharp features tighten and his face burn ever so slightly.

"You want another black eye, you little shit-"

The blond on his arm paled considerably and quickly took it upon himself to shoo Levi away as Marco excused himself. "I'll get the drinks, just, uh, go find us a table," he muttered.

Levi didn't leave until he managed to get one last glare in Eren's direction.

"I'm really sorry about that," the other boy sighed as he turned to the brunette, his cheeks slowly becoming a light shade of red. "One Bloody Mary and a glass of your finest wine," he teased after a moment. "Anything less and Levi'll kill me."

Eren laughed, finding his temper steadily falling, and began to pull out various bottles. "I don't doubt that. And you can actually stand to put up with such an asshole?" he asked, though his smirk faltered slightly when a slow, almost secretive, grin graced the smaller boy's full lips.

"More or less," he admitted while leaning against the bar. "The name's Armin, by the way," he offered after a moment, sticking out his hand after Eren set down the bottle.

"Eren," the brunette replied and slipped his hand into the smaller one. He was surprised to find Armin's grip to be firm and strong, yet made sure to prevent that from showing on his face. He had a feeling he didn't quite succeed though when Armin smirked slightly and squeezed his hand a little more.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Eren," the smaller boy chuckled as he took the small glasses and turned on his heel. "And you're not as subtle as you think you are."

Eren watched Armin slip almost too easily between dancing people, and didn't avert his eyes until he saw Levi glaring at him from across the club, his face shadowed by the dark, blinking, lights. Despite the chills the older man's glare sent down his spine, Eren maintained eye contact and even mustered a weak glare of his own. He wouldn't be bossed around, or intimidated, by a guy ten years older than himself.

Levi was the first to break eye contact, however, and even though it had only been to turn his attention to Armin, Eren still felt an immense swell of pride.

But that didn't stop Levi from glancing over at him every few minutes, and every time he did he wore a different expression. One minute he would be curious, the next angry, and then maybe frustrated after that. Like he were trying to figure something out, yet it didn't prevent Eren from sticking his tongue out or flipping him off each time.

Eren found himself laughing when Levi looked over for the hundredth time, a sneer tugging at his lips and his brow furrowed as he held up his own slender middle finger.

_And you called me a brat_, he thought, still chuckling, as he wiped the surface of the bar with an old cloth and threw a taunting smile at the shorter man.

It went on like that for about twenty minutes before Hanji slipped behind him and presser her lips against his ear. "Your attempts at flirting are admirable and slightly cute but they won't work on Levi."

A small cry escaped Eren and he whirled on the older girl, eyes wide and one hand pressed to his ear. There was nothing he hated more than the feeling of Hanji creeping up on him.

"You have to be strategic when you flirt with Levi," Hanji began, ignoring Eren's surprised and weak protests and groans. "Actually, I think you're a million years too early to even be capable of successfully flirting with him. Let alone seduce-"

"Hanji, I would never flirt with someone like Levi, and I definitely don't want to sleep with him," Eren growled, angry and almost insulted. Rose's entire staff knew how he felt about subjects like _these_ and yet Hanji was blatantly ignoring those established rules.

Eren didn't do _flirting_. He didn't do _dating_. And he definitely didn't do _love_. And _nothing _was going to change his mind, especially a guy half his size with the possible capability to murder with just a glance.

"Eren," the older woman started, for once utterly somber and staring at him seriously. Eren grit his teeth together and prepared to block out whatever she was going to say next. "You're twenty-one years old living in _LA_. You even work at the most successful and hottest clubs here. You should be out partying every night and waking up naked in front of the Hollywood sign," she chided. "Don't let one bad breakup destroy your twenties."

"It wasn't one bad breakup," Eren grumbled while picking at one of the many chips in the dark polish on the wooden counter.

A firm hand fell on his shoulder and squeezed a bit too hard, though Eren knew it was meant to be a comforting gesture. "We all have bad breakups, Jaeger. You just have to find the one that won't be."

The brunette snorted at that and shrugged her hand off. "That was horrible advice, Hanji," he told her. "But thanks anyway."

He spent the rest of the night mulling over her words, but every time he got a little to close to believing them, he'd meet steel grey eyes and shove them away. He would never be physically, emotionally, or mentally ready for another relationship, and as long as he kept telling himself that he'd believe it.

A short, irritable, man wasn't going to flip that switch so easily, either.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N- Aye you lil' fucks, I see all you guys fav'ing and following this story.  
However, reviews are just as well liked ;3 They help with the ideas and the layout of the next chapter when you tell me what you like and ESPECIALLY what you THINK. That really gets me going~ *throws cookies at all of you* Review and motivate me, slaves! I'm a desperate writer looking for some reviews!  
I also apologize for this short chapter, and I guess I should also inform you of the perspective; I will occasionally (normally) use Jean; he is an important character to the story and has an equally important role in the second major pairing, so of course, I need to develop this.  
And so some chapters will be in Jean's POV, but most will be in Eren's :3 _

* * *

_~Chapter 3~_

Jean had never wanted to sink into a hole made of his own despair and embarrassment more so than he did at this exact moment. He had only been browsing his favorite music store for _maybe_ ten minutes before he had noticed the horribly familiar freckled man standing, completely unaware, at the register; sorting and cleaning CDs and t-shirts. It was the complete fear of feeling like a coward later that kept him from running out of the store, but it was the reluctance to seem awkward and ignorant if he took his chosen items to the register.

Besides, he had just gotten paid and if he let the money sit out longer than necessary, Eren would take it and Jean would lose his chance to replenish his own music shelves. And his wardrobe.

While he was far from sorry about what he had said to Marco, Jean knew what he had done was probably uncalled for, at least in Eren's book. But, then again, he wasn't the one who had jumped Marco, nor was he the one who had punched him. Sure, his words had been a little harsh, enough to make Eren personally kick him out of Rose and cancel his gig, but he didn't regret them that much.

If a guy decides to grind up on another guy, he needs to expect anything.

"Ah... fuck..." Jean sighed while shouldering his tank tops and grabbing a CD. Marco working at his favorite music store was definitely a problem, but it was easily solved; all he had to do was not come on the days he was working.

He shuddered at the idea as he slowly made his way to the counter. Achieving that would no doubt make him feel like a stalker, and he definitely didn't want to feel something like that.

"Did you find everything all righ- oh..." Marco trailed off as he caught sight of Jean, his brown eyes wide and a faint blush dusting his heavily freckled cheeks.

When he had first met Marco, it had been dark, if you didn't count the flashing red and blue lights, and his lightly dressed body had been covered in glitter. His brown eyes had been closed for the most part, and Jean hadn't been too intent on figuring out the guy who had been grinding on his lap, of course, so he hadn't really gotten a good look at the boy before he had shoved him off.

So he was sure the amount of innocence Marco seemed to radiate would come as a surprise to anyone.

After coughing softly, Jean nodded and carefully placed his items on the cold counter top. He felt as if he could slice the tension in the air with a knife, and it got worse when Marco emphasized how slowly he was pulling tags and stickers off of the CDs and tank tops.

A small, almost nervous, smile played on his lips as he held up one of the tanks tops. "You like Nirvana?" he asked, his eyes on him for a split second, before he looked back down just as quickly.

_He's shy... _Jean thought before trying to hide a smirk. Instead he chewed on his pierced lip and nodded again, unable to find his voice.

"I like 'em, too," Marco muttered, mostly to himself, before sighing and scanning the small bar code. "Um... I don't know if you're still mad or... Or surprised that I work wearing clothes, but either way... I'm sorry," he began after a moment. He was still moving horribly slowly, but Jean found himself caring less and less with each passing second.

"It's-"

"While I still think you deserved to be punched in the face, I shouldn't have done it," Marco continued though he was rambling now and his dark cheeks were burning brighter than before. "I was out of line, especially during work, and shouldn't have done what I did. That could have waited until I was off."

"Um... It's okay?" Jean tried, thoroughly confused. So they both thought the other was in the wrong, and he wasn't sure he was ready to argue about who was wrong yet.

_Yet...? _Jean immediately shoved that addition away. It was as if he were implying there would be a second meeting, and he definitely didn't want that. In fact, he was planning on going out of his way to avoid that.

After taking several moments just watching the brunette shift around and punch in the prices, Jean huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, too, if it means anything," he muttered unhappily. He almost kicked himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth and Marco stopped what he was doing to look up at him, his full lips parted and eyes shining.

While Jean was far from being aware of the other boy's feelings, he had the sinking feeling of giving Marco false hope.

"I just... Well, I shouldn't have said the things I said..." Jean continued despite this knowledge and ran a hand through his hair.

"You really shouldn't have," Marco snorted, his blush fading and his expression becoming significantly darker as the words no doubt drilled themselves into his memory again. Jean winced as he jerked the last tag off of his tank top and threw it in the small trash can, anger making his movements unnecessarily forceful and jerky. Before Marco even bagged them, he placed his hands on the counter and looked up at him from under his bangs. "I don't reveal my body and dance on a stage in front of old men and giggling women to get leered at and groped, Jean."

"Fair enough," Jean murmured while shifting uncomfortably under the burning gaze. Yet he couldn't help but wonder _why_ he did it. If not to be drooled over, as that's all Jean was sure Marco was getting in return, then _why_. He wasn't going to get picked up by a celebrity to be a backup dancer because his skills with a pole were exceptional.

The situation had yet again become unbearable, but Marco still seemed to refuse to bag his purchases. It was as if he were perfectly content with glaring at him for several minutes, relishing in the fact that he could make him squirm so obviously.

"Are you homophobic?" he suddenly blurted, the intensity of his gaze easing as he straightened up and crossed his arms.

"W-what? No! I live with Eren for Christ's sake!" Jean cried then hurried on when Marco arched a delicate eyebrow. "Okay, that wasn't a good example. But the meaning is still clear, right?"

"Touche. I'll let it slip this time, though. You're a fan of Nirvana, so I guess you can't be all that bad," Marco snickered while finally pulling out a plastic bag and shoving everything inside unceremoniously

"So you really do like them," Jean snorted while taking the offered bag.

With a sigh, Marco turned slightly and lifted up the side of his shirt, revealing the band's logo tattooed on his hip. However, Jean found himself focusing more on the ridiculous amount of freckles that surrounded the dark ink, and fought the rising blush as he wondered just how much of his body was covered in the small dark marks.

"I... Um... I'm not sure how... to respond..."

"Is it... Is it really that... weird? Bad?"

"No... Uh... It's... I just... I don't..."

"Um... yeah... Yeah, I understand..."

_I need to call Mikasa_, Jean told himself as he nodded slowly, trying to keep his cool. While calling Mikasa probably wouldn't help his mood any, he'd just be forced to talk about Eren, it would definitely remind him that he had a girlfriend. And anything really was better compared to the insufferable atmosphere between them at that moment.

And, almost sternly, Jean noticed he had to remind himself that Marco didn't _just _work at a music store, he worked at a club in the middle of the night stripping for strangers and getting money shoved in his pants.

"Uh... Thanks," Jean murmured as he was given his receipt and card back.

"I took twenty off," Marco added with a sly smile. Jean eyed him cautiously, but said nothing more. His confusion grew when Marco held up a twenty dollar bill and pressed it against his lips for a moment, the smirk clear even behind the small, wrinkled, paper. "I don't usually get tips during public shows, but after I punched you in the face and stormed off, I found this in my back pocket."

Jean arched his own eyebrow and sneered at what Marco was implying. "You didn't get that from me," he snorted before giving a short wave and walking out of the large store.

_That's just not possible... _

The second the fresh air and lack of tension hit him, Jean felt as if he could breathe easier. To think he would even give a stripper a penny made him want to vomit, let alone a twenty dollar bill. He wouldn't waste that kind of money. If he couldn't stomach the idea of dancing as material for strangers to jerk off too, he wouldn't pay to keep it going.

With a sigh, Jean dug through his bag for the receipt, yet instead found a small slip of paper that caused him to pale. However, there wasn't a number with a winky face or hearts on it, instead he found a small note written in neat handwriting.

_There's a huge producer coming over to Rose this weekend. If you're interested, Eren and I could get you another gig... Maybe. _

"Shit..." Jean muttered, crumbling the small paper in his hand when guilt assaulted him. "_Shit_...!

_What's with him? _he wondered as his head began to pound. The horrible encounter had slightly changed his opinion of the mass of freckles from their previous horrible encounter. But he knew that didn't really explain why Marco was going this far to be nice, especially when he thought back on what he said.

It had truly been uncalled for, and to deepen the wound, he had done it when all eyes were on them. He shouldn't have let his discomfort and disdain get to him so much, Jean could have just easily sat through it then confronted him later if it had been that much of a problem.

His skin prickled at the thought of sitting through it, however. There was just no way he could allow it; stripper or not, single or not.

After shoving the note back in the bag, Jean started his short walk back to his apartment, reeling and trying to ignore the weird feeling toying with his head.

~.~.~

_"How's Eren doing?_"

"Mikasa, he's doing fine _as always_..."

"_He's not getting depressed or anything?_"

"No-! Why would he get depressed? He doesn't even interact with his boss from what I've heard."

"_That's good... So, you guys are making enough money and getting by okay? I know it's expensive, and if you ever need anything-_"

Jean gave a small laugh and sighed slightly, grateful that she didn't directly mention Eren in that sentence. "We're fine, Mikasa. You don't need to send us money; we're not bums hanging out in boxes. Eren gets paid pretty generously and you know how I am. We're survivors, babe. We can be in debt one month and rich as can be the next."

There was silence on the line before the faint sound of Mikasa chuckling came through, and Jean could imagine a small smile on her lips. "_As long as you're sure you're getting by comfortably... But, it has been a year now... Why don't you guys come back to Ohio for Thanksgiving or something...? I miss you guys and I know your mom misses you, Jean... You can't ignore her forever, and you'll regret it if you do..._"

Jean immediately frowned and his mood turned sour. There was no way he was stepping foot in Ohio again, not just because of his mother but because of how depressing his hometown was. In California, there were always new opportunities, opportunities that took up his time and entertained him; distracted him. If he went back to Ohio for just an hour, Jean knew he'd get sick and lose it.

"Why don't you come out here?" Jean offered after he knew his voice wouldn't shake or crack. "Eren and I can even get the money together, we've been doing really good this month... You'd love it here, Mikasa..." he muttered, then smiled slightly when his eyes landed on a small piece of paper. "And I think I'll be coming across some good luck soon..."

When one of the doors in the back of the apartment slammed shut, Jean ended his conversation with Mikasa and pocketed his phone just as Eren stormed out. His eye had gotten significantly better, and the wound on his lip was almost completely gone, but the bags under his eyes and his mass of messy brown hair were the classic signs of a natural Eren Hangover.

"What happened last night?" Jean snorted as Eren made a beeline for the small kitchen and pulled out an ice pack.

"Marco was felt up by a wasted shit of a man," the brunette mumbled, far too tired to throw in a usual insult or snap at Jean to mind his own business. "I couldn't get the pig down and Levi just waltzed in and kicked his knee and down he went..."

_Levi? _Jean wondered, though based on his roommates expression it was easy to tell that this was the very same man that had creamed him a few nights prior.

"Am I really that useless?" Eren sighed after he had collapsed on the couch, his face covered by the large ice pack.

Jean snorted and kicked his feet down to settle beside him. He knew enough about Eren to know he wasn't referring to his strength or abilities, but himself. The only abilities he questioned were his abilities to maintain relationships.

"How do you do it, Jean?" Eren groaned. "You've been dating Mikasa for four years now, it's even long distance, _and_ you're _happy_... How?"

"Because I can get over shitty relationships," Jean muttered, staring at his bitch of a friend softly for a moment before poking his thigh. "You got dumped by a dick, then move out here and bum off of me just to work for him? In what world is that healthy?"

"Shut up, horseface!" Eren snapped, suddenly sitting up and dropping the ice pack. Jean only smiled as the familiar look of rage and humiliation overcame the boy's round face.

"Why don't you go for the midget who beat you up?" Jean teased while knowing full well he was pushing all of the brunette's buttons and loving it.

The brat may have been a bitch of a guy to deal with when he was mad, at least it would get his mind out of the past. And by the enraged look on Eren's face, Jean knew he had hit right.

"Why don't you go for the stripper who punched you in the face?" Eren countered while snapping at the small note on the coffee table.

Jean sneered and punched his friend in the arm. "Like hell. Even if I wasn't _dating your sister_ he'd never get a chance with me."

Eren seemed to quiet down after that, then with a small sigh and nervously chewing on his chapped lips, his green eyes met Jean's browns. "I'll stop bitching about Levi and try it out, as well as get you a gig this weekend, if you apologize properly to Marco and try to be nice to him," he offered while extending his right hand. "This means coming by every time Marco has a shift for at least an hour. If it weren't for him convincing me, you would have never heard a word about Sina Records..."

Jean stared at the extended hand for a moment, only contemplating his second offer. Jean couldn't care less about whether Eren got together with an irritable geezer, but the option of getting to preform at a huge club in front of a major producer was what he needed. Especially a producer from Sina. And he could handle Marco, he had decided. He had almost done so earlier, yet he'd make sure he would keep that from Eren, and was sure Marco was a perfectly nice guy if he could get over the fact he stripped for money.

"You've got yourself a deal, Jaeger."


End file.
